Ashes to Ashes
by Salamandercat
Summary: Sootkit's dream was to become leader. A innocent dream for a once innocent kit. But he made the mistake of being blinded by greed, and does terrible things. I don't own Warriors. Sootkit is an OC, not the cannon character.
1. Prologue

Prologue

"Treacherous clanmate, have you forgotten the lies you told?"

"Treasonable warrior, have you lost your purpose?"

"Cowardly feline, do you remember those who loved you?"

"Traitorous corpse, did you waste your life?"

The dark gray cat hung his head as the spirits' voices filled his head and rose in the starry air. His eyes were lidded as he stared down at his blood stained paws. The red substance leaked from the wound cutting across his neck and splattered on the ground, vanishing soon after touching the stone they stood on.

The round moon that hung in the midnight sky washed them in silver light, and cast tall shadows on the stone ledge's smooth surface. "Mendacious warrior, do you feel guilty for your crimes?"

The voice belonged to one of the gray cat's victims, a young ginger she-cat, the leader's only kit. "I-I-I do, I'm sorry, please forgive me, Emberkit, I beg you."

"You feel remorse, decieving corpse, only because you are dead, and you can no longer hide from your wrong doing." another spirit spoke up. This one's voice belonged to the leader's closest friend, a white speckled tom. "Your apologies cannot change the murders you have commited, or free you from the lies you spoke."

"No, no Ashflight, I am sorry! I was sorry! I was always sorry! Please forgive me! I was blinded by greed!" the grey tom cried out, looking up with pleading eyes to the spirit's of his deceased victims.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"Sootkit, Sootkit, are you awake little warrior?"

His mother's soothing voice cut through the cobwebs of his dreams, and the young kit opened his eyes to stare into his mother's. The dark gray queen purred at the kit, who's pelt matched her own, with the exception of him having a white muzzel and chest, with matching paws.

"Awake now, are we?" the queen purred, nuzzling Sootkit's head affectionatley.

The young tom squirmmed under his mother's touch. "Why do I need to be awake, Sparrowfur? Is father here?" the kit asked, pulling himself out of his mother's grasp and looking around. "Are Greycloud's kits here yet?"

"No and no, little one, but there is someone who'd like to see you."

"Really?! Where?!" the dark gray tom stood and began to search aroud his mother's nest, looking for the cat she was speaking of.

Sparrowfur purred, amused by her kit's searching. "He's outside waiting, Sootkit."

The gray kit tripped over his paws as he ran out the nursery toward whoever waited for him. Upon exiting the den he was slightly blined by the sun's midday light, and as his eyes adjusted to the brightness he saw the outline of the clanmate which Sparrowfur had spoken of.

Boneheart sat outside the nursery, his white pelt almost blinding in the sun's light. The tom's pale green eyes were fixed with amusement on Sootkit. "Hello there, Sootkit, your mother told me you were napping." the warrior mewed as Sootkit bounded over to him.

"I was," Sootkit chirped, sitting back on his hindlegs and pawing at the air. "But I'm awake now!"

"I see that," Boneheart purred, cuffing the kit's ear playfully.

"Are you here to play with me?!" Sootkit asked hopefully, sitting back down on all fours. "Greycloud's kits haven't arrived yet, and everyone's too busy to play with me."

Boneheart nuzzled the kit's head before standing. "Somewhat. Follow me, Sootkit."

Curious and confused, the young kit trailed after the white warrior. Boneheart led him to the fresh-kill pile where Quakepaw lay, a dead sparrow between the tom's outstretched forepaws. "Hi Boneheart," Quakepaw greeted. "Sootkit."

"Hello Quakepaw, is your mentor around?" Boneheart asked the light ginger tom.

The apprentice shook his head. "Ravenclaw just left on a patrol," Quakepaw replied. "What did you want him for anyway?"

"I was going to ask if he knew where Gorsepelt was." Hearing his father's name, Sootkit perked up.

"Why did you want to know where my father was, Boneheart?" the gray tom questioned, staring up at the warrior. "Is he gonna play with us?"

Boneheart purred. "You guessed correctly, Sootkit." turning back to Quakepaw the tom added. "Tell me if you see him, will you Quakepaw?"

The apprentice nodded, and the white warrior turned away and headed back to the nursery. Sootkit scampered after him, jumping once or twice to bat at the warriors tail.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

A soft, cooling wind tugged at Sootkit's whiskers as he sat outside the nursery, watching his clanmate's retreat to their nests for the night. Glancing up to the sky, he watched as it's soft blue hue turned to a darker indigo as the sun set.

"Sootkit."

The dark gray kit turned to the nursery's entrance and stood, padding into the den where his mother lay waiting for him. Padding inside Sootkit made his way to Sparrowfur's nest, where he curled up against her stomach, burying himself in her warm, dark fur.

The queen purred at the kit's actions. "Goodnight my little warrior." she mewed.

* * *

Sootkit peered behind the apprentice's den, looking for the warrior that he was playing Prey with. The dark gray kit could not see the white fur he was searching for, and padded slowly from behind the den. Cautiously the kit glanced around him, unsure of whether Boneheart was waiting for him to come out of hinding, or if the warrior was in another part of camp searching for him.

Reaching out a paw from behind the tightly woven branches that were the apprentice's den, Sootkit gazed around him warily. Taking a deep breath to cool the anxiety shooting through him, Sootpaw stepped fully out from behind the den.

"Found you,"

Startled, Sootkit let out a high pitched yowl. His dark gray fur was puffed up as he stared with wide eyes at the warrior he had been hiding from. Boneheart purred with amusement as he watched Sootpaw. "You're very good at hiding, Sootkit, but it didn't help you any when you walked into a clear space where I could easily find you."

Sootkit sighed. "I know that," he replied, his fur flattening now that he knew that it was Boneheart who had surprised him. "I just thought that you weren't this close to my hiding place."

The white furred warrior he spoke to shook his head lightly, a purr rumbling in his throat. "You should scent check the area first, Sootkit, warriors do that so they know if there are enemies nearby, and if they'll be ambushed." Boneheart mewed, patting the kit lightly on the head with his paw. "You'll know more about that when you become an apprentice."

Eagerness filled Sootkit and looked up at the warrior with wide eyes. "Will you be my mentor when I'm an apprentice, Boneheart? Will you?" he asked, bouncing on his paws with anticipation.

Amusement shone in Boneheart's pale green eyes as the warrior turned away from the bouncing kit. "That's up to Coalstar, Sootkit." he replied as the kit bounded after him.

Sootkit padded beside the warrior, a thoughtful look in his eyes. "Boneheart, when I become leader, you'll be my deputy." the dark gray tom mewed.

The green eyed warrior looked down at the kit in surprise. "Oh? And what brought on this thought?"

"When I'm leader," Sootkit continued, not answering the warrior's question. "Lightningclan will be the strongest clan there is, and all cats will be happy. There will be enough prey for everyone, and there will be no battles, because there won't be anything to fight over."

Boneheart tilted his head to the side, amusement clear in his eyes, as well as his voice when he replied to Sootkit's words. "You have a lot of promise and prospect in you, Sootkit, I hope you stay that way."

* * *

**Raeda2001: Thank you!**

**Kkberr0908: I'll be using your OC's for Greycloud's kits, but don't be surprised if they get killed off...**

**Rainheart Warrior: I don't mind people reviewing to every chapter...but thank you for following the story!**

**Darklight: I don't think any story I write and will write will put Erin Hunter to shame...maybe vice versa...but thank you a bunch for reading!**


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Sootkit watched his mother with curious eyes. The queen's head rested on her forepaws as she stared out the nursery's opening, her amber eyes glazed in thought. Curious as to why she was acting as such, the dark gray tom padded over to her. Reaching Sparrowfur's head, Sootkit sat down on his haunches, and rested his forepaws on his mother's cheek.

"Mama?" he asked as Sparrowfur's eyes turned to watch him. "What's wrong?"

The amber eyes that had once been focused on him turned back to the den's opening. "They sent a patrol out to search for your father this morning, it's almost night now."

Sootkit tilted his head to the side in a inquisitive manner. Now that Sparrowfur had spoken of his father, he recalled nothing of the tom besides hazy memories.

"Sparrowfur, how come I don't remember Gorspelt much?" Sootkit asked, taking his paws down from Sparrowfur's cheek and putting them back down on their nest.

"You were only just born when Gorsepelt first visited you," Sparrowfur mewed. "And he barely vsited you, because he was usually busy mentoring his apprentice, Dovepaw. He loved her like she was his own kit, and wanted her to grow up to be strong, so much that he forgot about his real kit."

Sootkit nodded, feeling a tiny emotion he wasn't familiar with knot in his stomach. Gazing back outside the nursery, he got a glimpse of the apprentice his mother had just mentioned. The she-cat was light gray and white, and while staring at her, the emotion grew stronger, and a name came to mind. Jealousy. Sootkit was jealous that an apprentice had more of his father's attention, than he did himself.

Glaring at the light gray and white she-cat, Sootkit unconsciously snarled. _I don't like this feeling. _he thought, his green eyes still narrowed. _I'll fix it, so I no longer feel it anymore. But how? Do I destroy the object of this emotion? Or do I learn to be happy with the few memories of my father I have?_

* * *

Sootkit stared at the corpse. It was hardly recognizable, skinny, with glassy eyes that watched nothing, only reflected the sun's setting light. "Gorsepelt..." he heard his mother whisper. The dark gray tom tried to bury himself deeper in his mother's dark belly fur, but found he could not.

Looking around he saw Dovepaw sitting on the other side of Gorspelt's body, next to her was Boneheart and on the other side Gorespelt's closest friend, Ravenclaw. "Clanmates," a voice broke though the silence, and Sootkit peered around Sparrowfur's foreleg to see their leader, Coalstar, standing on Highledge. "I know we are heartbroken at the death of a fellow warrior, and not being there when he did die. But I am afraid there will be no vigil for Gorsepelt."

"What?!" Ravenclaw yowled immediatley after the words were said. "You cannot expect us to just bury him without a proper vigil! He died because of a badger, and fought it till the very end! We cannot bury him without honoring his acts first!"

The black and white speckled tom glared up at Coalstar, his pelt bristling with fury. Coalstar only shook his head sadly. "I am sorry, Ravenclaw, but I must. I do not think Gorsepelt wants to be remembered as a half decayed corpse. We are burying him now." the ebony colored tom replied. "Suntail agrees that Gorsepelt should not have a vigil."

The clan turned away from the leader, their attention now souly on the ginger medicine cat who stood underneath Highledge. "Yes," the she-cat mewed. "I agree with Coalstar's words. Gorsepelt's body is half decomposed, and his spirit is already high in Starclan, there is no need for a vigil."

Ravenclaw snarled, a growl rising in his throat. "Ravenclaw," a voice warned as a grey paw was placed on the tom's shoulder. Greycloud stood next to him, shaking her head sadly. The action caused Ravenclaw's growl to die in his throat, and for his snarl to disappear.

Sootkit's anger, however, continued to grow as he glared at Coalstar. _When I'm leader._ he thought. _Every warrior will recieve a proper vigil. No matter how decayed their body is._

* * *

**Dovepaw belongs to a Guest**

**Guest: Your OC is going to be used, but don't be surprised if she dies...**

**Rainheart Warror: Thank you for the fav! He, Sootkit is adorable now...**

**Echostorm0908: One of your OC's is going to one of the key components in the story...so they both won't get killed off...**


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Eyes wide with curiousity Sootkit stared at his new denmates who were crowding around Greycloud's belly for milk. Still staring, mesmerized by the tiny bodies, the dark gray kit barley felt his mother's nose as it nudged him. "Go to sleep, little warrior, you can play with them when you wake up tomorrow." Sparrowfur's whisper broke Sootkit free of his trance, and he nodded.

Settling deeper in their shared nest, Sootkit took one last glance at his newborn denmates before closing his eyes.

* * *

The dark gray tom yawned, his eyes opening slowly as the sun's early rays filtered through the nursery's walls. Rolling on his side, Sootkit watched Greycloud's kits as they too stirred. The dark grey tom stood and slowly made his way over to them, curious as to what his new denmates looked like, he had not payed much attention when he had stared at them the night before, and only vaguely recalled their names and which belonged to who.

Standing in front of the four newborns, Sootkit's head tilted to the side in a inquisitive manner as he stared at them. One, a light gray she-cat with orange flecks that reminded Sootkit of the trees leaves in leafall, head was turned away from Greycloud's belly, where her littermates were currently feeding. Not knowing what would happen if the kit didn't receive her fill, Sootkit bent down and picked up the kit's scruff in his jaws, trying to turn her back to Greycloud's belly, when he felt something nuzzle his chest fur.

Opening his jaws in surprise Sootkit let go of the kit's scruff, making her fall back to Greycloud's nest. Unfazed, the kit crawled back to him, where she nuzzled against his chest again before falling asleep. The dark gray tom stared bewildered at the kit.

"It seems Echokit has taken a liking to you." he heard Greycloud purr.

"Could you get her off of me, please?" Sootkit asked, looking up at the gray and white furred queen.

The she-cat purred louder before reaching over and grabbing Echokit's scruff and placing her back amongst her littermates. Sootkit breathed a sigh a relief before going back to observing his new denmates.

Laying next to Echokit was a grey tom with black stripes, Sootkit recalled Greycloud and Ravenclaw had named him Shadekit. The dark gray kit stared at Shadekit a while longer before moving on to the kit next to him.

The next newborn was a white tom with black specks. "Hi Blizzardkit," he mewed bending closer to the kit's ear. "Are you awake? When you wake up we can go and play."

The gray kit's words were met with no reply, and he sighed. Padding on to the next kit, Sootkit poked the pale gray tom with white, black, and gray specks laying next to Blizzardkit. Sootkit listed his head to the side, this kit's name came to him easiest, since it was somewhat like his. "Ashkit, hey, Ashkit, are you awake?"

The plae gray kit he had spoken to yawned, and Sootkit watched as Ashkit slowly opened his eyes. The color of his eyes was a surprise to Sootkit, one was a lucious dark green, like the grass in greenleaf, the other was pale gold that reminded him of the sun's light when leafbare came.

The eyes were focused souly on him, curiousity sparking in their mismatched depths. "Hi Ashkit," Sootkit mewed. "I'm Sootkit, do you want to play?"

* * *

Claws unsheathed unknowingly, Sootkit watched Coalstar with narrowed eyes. The dark gray kit intended for Coalstar to pay for his actions, and Sootkit wanted the punishment to fit the crime, but Coalstar's mother, father, and mate were hunting in Starclan, which left his only kit, Dovepaw.

The punishment wouldn't be entirely fair if he killed Dovepaw, but what if he just stopped her from becoming a warrior? Yes, that would work. Sootkit knew that Dovepaw would become a warrior with Quakepaw and Maplepaw six days after Sootkit became an apprentice, and if what Galepaw had boasted to him about one day was true, than Sootkit would be helping them in their assessment.

And if what Brakentail had told him after he had become a warrior still happened, than they would be having their assessment near Eagle Cliff. All Sootkit had to do then, was get Dovepaw close enough to Eagle Cliff's edge so that if he gave her one small push, than she would go tumbling over the edge.

"Sutkit! Sutkit!"

The dark gray tom turned to the voice. Ashkit was stumbling toward him on short legs. Rolling his eyes Sootkit stood and padded over to the younger kit. Once next to him, Ashkit let out a relieved sigh.

"We'we fwends, wight?" the kit asked him. "Becawse, Spawwopewlt told me you wan to be weadeh, and I wan to know if I couwld be deputy."

Sootkit stared at the younger kit for awhile, thinking over his words, maybe, but, he had promised Boneheart the position of deputy when he became leader, and he wanted to keep his promise to his first friend. "Maybe, Ashkit." he replied.

Ashkit tilted his head o the side. "If you becawme weadeh, can we stiw be fwends? I don't wanna wose my fwist fwend."

"Of course we'll still be friends, Ashkit, we'll always be friends."

"Good, cawhs as wong as you my fwend, I'll be happy."

* * *

**And the kits have shown themselves...**

**Dovepaw belongs to a guest**

**Shadekit and Echokit belong to Echostorm0908**

**Echostorm0908: I can't say who'll be the most important, but I can say when one of them dies you'll know...**

**Rainheart Warrior: Yep, it'll get worse from there...**


End file.
